The Flavours of Campbelltown: A very different Adelaide Food Tour

For a moment I thought I was in a British sitcom but no, this surprise stop was all about curry. We were not expecting to stop at a private home on our food tour but this shows how innovative Adelaide’s Campbelltown Council has been in starting their award winning Food Trail Tour.

Campbelltown has attracted many migrant families to this part of Adelaide who have bought their culinary traditions with them and have started businesses. The Campbelltown Council has recognised this and in a very clever initiative has established the Flavours of Campbelltown Food Trail that promotes these businesses and offers visitors to Adelaide a very different experience.

But back to the Kumars…..

The Kumar’s Indian Culinary Service

I must admit we weren’t sure what was happening when we pulled up to a suburban house in Rostrevor, a suburb in the Campbelltown area but after a warm welcome from Vinnie and Anish Kumar and their two children we were very glad we were there.

Vinnie and Anish run a successful Indian catering service making some of the best curries I have tasted in a long while…and at very reasonable prices!

Along with delicious pakoras and mint sauce, we were treated to their signature dish, the butter chicken curry, a beef korma and a fabulous spinach paneer made with ricotta.

Vinnie’s parents were visiting from India, taking a holiday from their confectionary shop, but she was able to convince her father to make us some of the wonderful Indian sweet, jalebi to finish the tasting.

We had started the day with coffee….

Java Lifestyle Coffee and TeaMario’s father bought the first expresso machine into Adelaide in 1956 igniting his love for coffee. The coffee machine still stands in the cafe but today Mario uses a modern machine to roast and ground the beans for the coffee that the shop is known for.Tea lovers aren’t forgotten either so whether it’s tea or coffee, Java Lifestyle is the place to go….and don’t forget to try the churros with your coffee…they are delicious!

and cake….

Elbio
Elbio may be from Uruguay but the cakes and pastries made at his bakery embrace all cultures. Here you’ll find treats from Italy, France and Spain as well as his Latin American delicacies. Elbio has also established a separate gluten free bakery within his larger bakery. The gluten free products are mixed in their own large mixer, baked in their own ovens and packaged away from other products.

Chaja is one of his famous cakes…light, fluffy and wickedly delicious, it is a mixture of meringue, cream, sponge cake, caramel and fruit.

Mercato
I’d love to have Mercato down the street from where I live!

As I walked into Mercato I was immediately transported back to Italy! It wasn’t just the scooter standing inside the entrance, or the shelves filled with wonderful Italian products. Nor was it the salami hanging from above the counters and the display cabinets filled with a huge selection of cheese and antipasti. The wonderful selection of italian wines may have helped but what really took me back was the sight of four lovely nonnas hand rolling pasta called cavaletti…a scene that is played out often in homes in Italy.

This is part of the original owners Mario and Immas’ son John’s vision to take the store from the small corner deli it once was to the large emporium it now is. They also offer a great range of cooking classes which booked out very quickly.

Salt in Bocca
Andreas Carstensen bought Salt In Bocca as a present for his wife.. While most women in our group said they would not be appreciative if their husbands did this, Therese is passionate about their small family business making a range of almond breads and biscotti. The fig and pistachio biscotti were to die for! Unfortunately they are not available outside South Australia at the moment which is probably quite good for me as I would be buying them constantly.

Assagio CaféJust incase we were still hungry, Assagio Cafe, an offshoot of the well known restaurant in Central Adelaide, had arranged a delicious lunch for us of arancini, polpetti, prawns, mediterranean vegetables and proscuitto and pizza.

What I love about this area is that the businesses all support each other. Assagio acknowledges where their produce comes from and many suppliers are other businesses in the area.

This tour has been so successful, not only for visitors to the area but for the businesses themselves. There are 25 businesses in the Food Trail guide book with many more on the waiting list. The council also holds Moonlight Markets attended by businesses in the food trail booklet.From a visitor’s perspective, the diversification of the places we visited and the food we tasted was a fabulous introduction to a part of Adelaide that we probably would never have found.

Congratulations Campbelltown Council for establishing the fabulous Food Trail Tours

Hey all that food appears truly delicious. I wish to have a bite of that delectable treat you have shared on your blog. Thank you for sharing this amazing treat on the blog. Food travel is definitely the most delightful thing on this earth.

About Me

I love to travel! I love exploring the markets, trying new tastes and finding fabulous restaurants so this blog is also about food!
I'd love to think that by sharing my stories, you will be able to add new experiences to your dream trip or simply enjoy the escape with us
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